Challenges Faced By Informal Job Sector

By Author: Amit Singh
Total Articles: 25
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In India, a huge section of population works in the informal job sector to earn their living. If you go a bit deeper and analyze the nature of the job they do, the conditions only worsen. Blue collar workers like Drivers, Security Guards, Nurses etc. are common in every household or corporates yet they are not treated like other employers.

Employers of informal job sector work in average environments. Ironically, most of us know about this fact but fail to do anything in their favor and even look down on them.

Do you think this will change the current scenario?
NO, because these blue collar job workers contribute in huge share of India’s revenue. So the question arises if their role is so crucial, why are they not getting what they deserve? If you think things are going in right direction, think again!

The root of current scenario is the lack of awareness as well as the efficient connection between the employers & blue collar workers. This is one of the biggest factors that things are too static in the informal job sector and as a result their situation is getting worse each day.

Blue ...
... collar workers face a number of challenges…

First of all, their remuneration are too less in figures, they are underpaid. Everybody has a right to get paid equally for the work done. But, sadly in this case as options are limited for the blue collar workers, they cannot do anything but accept the fate.

Secondly, their working conditions are not at all healthy. In order to make their ends meet, workers unwillingly accept the unfavorable working conditions. They have no choice and their necessity beats their choices.

Thirdly, there is no limit to their number of working hours. For grey collar jobs and blue collar jobs, there is no regulatory body to control the working hours or prevent them from being exploited.

Moving further, job security is still a distant concern for them. Chances are if they lose one job, it is nearly impossible for them to get a new one as there are not many job portals to cater this group as there are to cater the rest of the working population.

Apart from absence of increments and appraisals, the informal sector jobs also lack the benefits such a health insurance, P.F’s, and pensions etc. It’s pretty obvious these benefits are only made for white collar workers and the situation will remain same even in the near future.

Once in a seminar, a motivational speaker asked a boy. Why is anybody Poor? He gave him a very smart reply that:

“A POOR IS POOR BECAUSE HE IS POOR.”

That means being poor is their biggest challenge that drags them back every time they try to move forward. It doesn’t end here, there are some other challenges that they face i.e. Illiteracy & lack of awareness. This drastic situation has shifted the focus of blue collar workers from doing passionate work to doing any work that can pay him/her few bucks, which is not a very healthy practice and needs to be improved.